1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a video camera system and more particularly to a video camera system which is capable of controlling a video camera having a panhead for use in, for example, a video conference.
2. Description of the Related Art
An apparatus which is arranged as shown in FIG. 1 has been known as a terminal unit for a video conference system. Referring to FIG. 1, an image signal from a video camera 72 is processed by an image processing part 75 and is outputted by a transmission part 76 to a communication line. An audio signal from a microphone or the like is encoded by an audio part 71 and is outputted by the transmission part 76 to the communication line. The image and audio signals outputted to the communication line are transmitted to another terminal unit which is arranged similarly to the unit shown in FIG. 1 and is set at a remote conference place.
Meanwhile, an image signal which is inputted to the transmission part 76 via the communication line from the terminal unit arranged at the remote conference place is processed by the image processing part 75. An image is displayed on a monitor 73 on the basis of the processed image signal. An audio signal which is inputted to the transmission part 76 via the communication line from the terminal unit arranged at the remote conference place is decoded by the audio part 71. The decoded audio signal is outputted to a speaker which is not shown.
The actions of the video camera 72 are arranged to be controlled by a camera controller 74 according to an operation performed on the operation part 78 or on an operation part of the terminal unit set at the remote conference place. The camera controller 74, the image processing part 75 and the transmission part 76 are controlled by a system control part 77.
However, according to the arrangement of the conventional video conference system described above, it has been impossible to know the exact location within the remote conference place of an image currently shown on the monitor 73. It has been also impossible to confirm a preset position at which the camera is to be set again when it is desired, for example, to see on the monitor 73 a particular participant present at the remote conference place.
It is an object of this invention to provide a video conference system which solves the above-stated problems of the prior art by enabling participants in a conference held between remotely separated places to know the directions of the video cameras and also to confirm the preset positions of the video cameras.
To attain this object, a video camera system arranged according to this invention as an embodiment thereof comprises detecting means for detecting the amount of a panning operation performed on a video camera, forming means for forming an electronic image indicating the direction of the video camera according to the amount of the panning operation detected by the detecting means, and combining means for combining the electronic image formed by the forming means with an image obtained from the video camera. This embodiment detects by the detecting means the amount of the panning operation performed on the video camera, forms by the forming means an electronic image indicating the direction in which the video camera is set, and combines by the combining means the electronic image formed by the forming means with an image obtained from the video camera.
A video camera system arranged as another embodiment of this invention comprises detecting means for detecting the amount of a panning operation performed on a video camera, storing means for storing the amount of the panning operation detected by the detecting means every time a presetting action is performed, forming means for forming an electronic image indicating the preset direction of the video camera according to the amount of the panning operation stored by the storing means, and combining means for combining the electronic image formed by the forming means with an image obtained from the video camera. That embodiment stores by the storing means the amount of the panning operation detected by the detecting means every time the presetting action is performed, forms an electronic image indicating the direction in which the video camera is set according to the amount of the panning operation stored by the storing means, and combines the electronic image formed by the forming means with an image obtained from the video camera.
It is another object of the invention to provide a video conference system which is arranged to permit confirmation of the direction in which a video camera is set even when the video camera is in a zoom-up state.
To attain that object, a video camera system arranged as an embodiment of this invention to detect the amount of a panning operation performed on the video camera and to form an electronic image which indicates the direction of the video camera on the basis of the amount of the panning operation detected comprises camera direction indicating picture forming means for forming, according to the amount of the panning operation, an electronic image indicating the direction in which the video camera is set image memory means for storing an image obtained with the video camera in a wide-angle position, and combining means for combining the image stored in the image memory means with the electronic image formed by the camera direction indicating picture forming means. In the embodiment, the video camera is arranged to be capable of always storing, in the image memory means, an electronic image showing a whole scene taken with the video camera set on a wide-angle side so that the image which indicates the direction of the video camera can be displayed in combination with the electronic image which shows the whole scene. Therefore, the direction in which the video camera is set can be clearly displayed even if an image being currently picked up by the video camera is in a zoom-up state.
These and other objects and features of this invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of embodiments thereof taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.